Bass management for home theater speaker system and hub

ABSTRACT

An audio system is disclosed that contains speakers that are configured to transmit unique parameters to an audio source. The system includes a hub that is configured to be connected with one or more audio sources. At least one speaker is included having one or more filter parameters stored internally that are specific to the speaker. The speaker is operable to transmit the one or more filter parameters to the hub. The hub is operable to use the one or more filter parameters to filter an audio channel associated with the speaker and an associated subwoofer channel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.provisional application No. 62/221,710 filed on Sep. 22, 2015.

INTRODUCTION

Home cinema, also commonly called home theater, generally refers to homeentertainment systems that have the goal of reproducing movie theaterexperiences using video and audio equipment in the home or at othervenues. Beginning in the late 1990s, and continuing through much of the2000s, home-theater technology progressed with the development of theDVD-Video format, Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio (“surround sound”),and large screen high definition televisions. In the 2010s, 3Dtelevisions and Blu-ray Disc technology have ushered in a new era ofhome theater.

Modern home theater designs typically require a television set or videoprojector, which is typically a flat screen television (SDTV, HDTV, or3D TV) or high-definition video projector. The systems also includevideo and audio input devices. These devices are typically capable ofoutputting audio and video signals in high resolution formats such asBlu-ray discs, cable box receivers, satellite receivers, video gameconsoles, and so forth. The systems typically have an audio processingdevice that receive the signals from the input devices. Input devicesare processed by either standalone AV receivers or preamplifiers. Thesedevices include a sound processor for processing complex surround soundformats such as Dolby Pro-Logic, Pro-Logic II, X, and Z, Dolby Digital,DTS, Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD andDTS-HD Master Audio to name a few. Finally, the systems typicallyinclude audio output components that consist of at two speakers, forstereo sound, however most systems have a 5.1 surround sound system,which has a left and right front speaker, center speaker, left and rightrear speakers and a subwoofer. Other systems include a 7.1 surroundsound system that adds two additional speakers to the conventional 5.1surround sound system configuration. One aspect of the present inventiondiscloses a wireless speaker system that is easily setup by the user.

The goal of any well-designed speaker system is to have smoothtransitions between the various components in the system. Fortraditional box speakers, the division of frequencies is handled by aninternal crossover entirely under the control of the acoustic engineer.

Achieving good transitions between multiple speakers becomes much morecomplex when elements are brought together especially when thosespeakers are not produced by the same designer. Current audio-videoreceivers (“AVRs”) took some first steps to address this but there aresome elements missing to create good bass summation.

-   -   THX outlined the following requirements for speakers bearing        their approval:    -   The main speakers must have an 80 Hz, 2^(nd) order, Butterworth        high-pass characteristic.    -   The subwoofers must be flat to no less than 250 Hz.    -   An active crossover must be used to manage the bass transition        from the mains to the subwoofers.        Using these requirements, the crossover between the main        speakers and the subwoofer became standard: use a Second-order,        Butterworth high-pass filter on the main speakers and a        corresponding Linkwitz-Riley fourth-order low-pass on the        subwoofer. Combined with the high-pass acoustics on the main        speakers, this forms a fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley crossover, a        widely accepted filter set that produces a flat summation and        requires no phase inversions. In an ideal case, this system        provides excellent summation.

What is missing in the THX case is most speakers do not have a 70 Hzhigh-pass frequency. Current AVRs attempt to compensate by making thecrossover frequency for each speaker independently adjustable. Thisaddresses the variations in high-pass frequencies but does not addressthe variations in the main speakers' high-pass response.

A 12 db/octave, Q=0.707 high-pass speaker response is needed to makethis work properly. A speaker's high-pass response may vary anywherefrom 6 dB/octave to over 24 dB/octave. The Q may also vary greatly.There is also the issue that almost no speaker manufacturers provide thehigh-pass characteristic or recommended crossover frequency for theirspeakers. This lack of information makes it highly unlikely that atypical user will be able to create a proper bass crossover between themain speaker and subwoofer. One aspect of the present inventionaddresses this issue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of several components found in a home theatersystem.

FIG. 2 is a black diagram of a hub 102.

FIG. 3 is an input source display of the hub.

FIG. 4 is a volume display and surround mode display of the hub.

FIG. 5 is block diagram of a HDMI repeater of the hub.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for functional aspects of the hub.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of components and software code used in thesignal processing module of the hub.

FIG. 8 is an illustrative channel filter used by the DSP of the hub.

FIG. 9 illustrates how the filter set forth in FIG. 8 includes outputsthat are summed together with other channels and the resulting audiooutput signal is sent to the subwoofer.

FIG. 10a is a circuit diagram for a representative center channelspeaker.

FIG. 10b is a circuit diagram for a representative front channelspeaker.

FIG. 10c is a circuit diagram for a representative surround speaker.

FIG. 10d is a circuit diagram for a representative subwoofer.

FIG. 11 is a representative speaker selector module of the speakers.

FIG. 12 is a chart depicting the various states in which the speakerscan function.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing setup of a new system.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing moving speakers in an existing systemsetup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REPRESENTATIVE EMBODIMENTS

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference is now made to the embodiments illustrated in thedrawings and specific language is used to describe the same. Nolimitation of the scope of the invention is intended. Alterations andmodifications to the illustrated devices, and other applications of theprinciples of the invention as illustrated herein are contemplated aswould normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates.

Referring to FIG. 1, a representative home theater system 100 isdisclosed that includes several electronic components. The system 100includes a high definition control center or hub 102, a video displaydevice 104 such as a flat screen television for example, and one or moreinput devices 106 a, 106 b such as a cable box, satellite receiver, orBlu-ray player (for example). Although other components may include aremote control, as will be described in more detail below, the hub 102includes a remote control 108 that allows a user to setup, configure,and control the hub 102. As illustrated, an output from the inputdevices 106 a, 106 b is connected with one or more inputs on the hub 102thereby transferring audio and video signals to the hub 102. An outputfrom the hub 102 is connected with the video display device 104. Theseconnections could be made by HDMI cables, digital audio cables, opticalaudio cables and so forth.

In the preferred form, the hub 102 is configured to control up to eightspeakers in a 7.1 surround sound speaker system, however, as discussedin more detail below, the hub 102 could actually provide audio signalsto many more speakers. Although a 7.1 surround sound speaker system isillustrated, it should be appreciated that other configurations existand could be deployed in the system 100 disclosed herein such as 5.1surround sound speaker system, 3 speakers, 2 speakers and so forth. Thehub 102 is configured to operate in numerous settings and as a result,one skilled in the art should appreciate that even though 7.1 surroundsound speaker system is depicted, it should not be construed as alimitation of the present invention absent claims directed to such aspecific system.

In one illustrative form, the system 100 includes a center channelwireless speaker 110, a front right channel wireless speaker 112, afront left channel wireless speaker 114, a side right channel wirelessspeaker 116, a side left channel wireless speaker 118, a rear rightchannel wireless speaker 120, a rear left channel wireless speaker 122,and a wireless subwoofer 124. The name 7.1 surround sound is the commonname for an eight-channel surround audio system commonly used in hometheater configurations. It adds two additional speakers to the moreconventional six-channel (5.1) audio configuration. As set forth ingreater detail below, in the preferred form, the wireless speakers110-122 are wireless speakers that are configured and operable to senddata to the hub 102 and receive data from the hub 102. The wirelessspeakers 110-122 can also receive audio data from the hub 102 toreproduce audio sound.

In other forms, the hub 102 is configured to function with Dolby Atmos®speaker setups. These configurations are labelled as 7.1.4 surroundsound, for example. In this configuration, the first digit [7] refers tothe number of traditional surround speakers, the second digit [1] refersto the number of subwoofers, and the third digit [4] refers to how manyin-ceiling or upward-firing speakers are in the Dolby Atmos® speakerconfigurations. For example, Dolby Atmos® speaker setups can take on thefollowing configurations: 5.1.2; 5.1.4; 7.1.2; 7.1.4; 9.1.2; and so on.

Referring to FIG. 2, the hub 102 includes a controller or control unit200 that is connected with a button circuit 202 and an indicator or LEDcircuit 204. In one form, the control unit 200 comprises amicrocontroller but those skilled in the art would recognize that othertypes of control units could be used such as a microprocessor, forexample. The control unit 200 provides overall control of the hub 102.The control unit 200 includes an I²C module 205 for allowing the controlunit 200 to send and receive commands to various other components of thehub 102. As known in the art, I²C is a multi-master, multi-slave,single-ended, serial computer bus used for attaching lower speedintegrated circuits to processors and microcontrollers.

In the preferred form, the button circuit 202 is connected to a generalpurpose input output port 206 of the control unit 200. The buttoncircuit 202 includes five (5) tact switches or buttons 208 a-e (seeFIG. 1) that are located on the top panel of the hub 102 that areconfigured to perform the following functions: switch 208 a PowerOn/Power Off; switch 208 b Volume up; switch 208 c Volume down; switch208 d Mute; and switch 208 e Source Select/Bluetooth® discovery.Pressing any of these switches 208 a-e sends a signal to the controlunit 200 that causes the control unit 200 to execute code for the givenfunctionality associated with the switch 208 a-e. Pressing the powerbutton 208 a causes the control unit 200 to turn on or off the hub 102.Pressing the volume up or down buttons 208 b, 208 c causes the controlunit 200 to raise or lower the volume of the wireless speakers 110-122.Pressing the mute button 208 d causes the control unit 200 to mute thevolume of the wireless speakers 110-122. Pressing the source selectbutton 208 e causes the control unit 200 to switch between input sources(HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3, HDMI 4, TV, Digital 1 (Coax), Digital 2(Optical), Analog (RCA), and Bluetooth®).

Referring to FIG. 3, the LED circuit 204 includes a plurality of LEDs211 that are used to illuminate various indicators on a front panel 212(FIG. 1) of the hub 102. As previously set forth, the LED circuit 204 isconnected with and controlled by the control unit 200. The LED circuit204 is capable of independently illuminating the LEDs 211 to threebrightness level settings: full, dim, and off. The control unit 200 isconfigured to generate a menu option in the OSD to set the brightnesslevel of the LEDs 211.

In one form, the control unit 200 is connected with the LED circuit 204via an I2C serial bus connection, but other forms of connection arepossible and would be known to those skilled in the art. As illustratedin FIG. 3, in one form, the hub 102 includes an input source indicatorpanel 214 a, 214 b. An indicator or LED 211 is positioned behind eachindicator and is illuminated when that particular source is active orselected by the user as the input source. The input source indicatorpanel 214 a, 214 b includes HDMI1-HDMI4 indicators, a Digital 1indicator, a Digital 2 indicator, a TV indicator, an Analog indicator,and a Bluetooth® indicator.

Referring to FIG. 4, in another form, the front panel 212 of the hub 102includes a volume indicator panel 216. As the user turns up and down thevolume of the wireless speakers 110-122, the control unit 200 causesLEDs 211 to illuminate behind the volume indicator panel 216. Thecontrol unit 200 is configured to increase the number of LEDs 211illuminated as the volume increases and decrease the number of LEDs 211illuminated as the volume decreases. A volume indicator 218 is includedto inform the user that the volume indicator panel 216 is associatedwith the volume level of the wireless speakers 110-122. When there is avolume level that does not land exactly on one of the ten (10) LEDs, thecontrol unit 200 is configured to dim the rightmost LED.

As further illustrated in FIG. 4, a Dolby indicator 220 is included andis illuminated by the control unit 200 by illuminating an LED 211 whenthe hub 102 is operating using Dolby audio decoding. A DTS indicator 222is included and is illuminated by the control unit 200 by illuminatingan LED 211 when the hub 102 is operating using DTS audio decoding.

Referring to FIG. 2, the LED circuit 204 includes an infrared remotecontrol sensor 224 that is connected with the control unit 200. Theinfrared remote control sensor 224 is configured to receive signals fromthe remote control 108 of the hub 102. In one form, the sensor 224 isconfigured and operable to receive and decode NEC format codes.

The hub 102 also includes an HDMI repeater module 226 that is connectedwith the control unit 200. In one form, the HDMI repeater module 226 isconnected with the control unit 200 using an I2C bus connection, butother forms of connection are possible as known to those skilled in theart. The HDMI repeater 226 includes four HDMI inputs 228 a-d and oneHDMI output 230. In one form, the first HDMI input 228 a comprises anHDMI input port that supports HDCP 2.2, but one or more of the inputs228 a-d could all support HDCP 2.2 in other forms. In another form, HDMIinputs 228 a-d and HDMI output 230 support CEC commands and 4 k passthrough at 3 GHz/4:2:0 format. The output port 230 also supports AudioReturn Channel (“ARC”).

Referring to FIG. 5, a more detailed diagram of the HDMI repeater module226 is illustrated. The HDMI repeater module 226 is capable of receivingup to four inputs via HDMI inputs 228 a-d. As illustrated, the inputsare fed to an HDMI switch 232 that is used to select one of therespective audio and video input signals being supplied from arespective input source 106 a, 106 b. The switch 232 is controlled bysignals from the control unit 200, which determines which respectiveinput source 228 a-d is selected. An audio extractor 234 is includedthat is operable to extract the audio portion of the signal from thesignal. The audio portion of the signal is output from the HDMI repeatermodule 226 for processing on one or more outputs 236. In one form, theaudio portion is extracted and output from the HDMI repeater module 226on four I²S lines.

The HDMI repeater module 226 includes an on screen display (“OSD”)module 238. When activated, the OSD module 238 is operable to generate asystem configuration menu on the video display device 104. The OSDmodule 238 is controlled by the control unit 200. In one form, the OSDmodule 238 is configured to allow the user to setup and configure thewireless speakers 110-122 and other settings of the hub 102. When theOSD is not being used, the selected video signal is passed to the HDMItransmitter 240.

During operation, the user would use the remote control 108 to cause thecontrol unit 200 to generate the system configuration menu on the videodisplay device 104 by pressing, for illustrative purposes only, asettings button on the remote control 108. The user would then use theremote control 108 to select various options and the control unit 200would receive the user inputs and send appropriate command signals tothe HDMI repeater module 226. For example, the user could use the remotecontrol 108 and the OSD to switch video inputs from HDMI 1 to HDMI 2. Asset forth in greater detail below, the user also uses the OSD generatedby the OSD module 238 to setup and configure the wireless speakers110-122.

As further illustrated in FIG. 5, the HDMI repeater module 226 alsoincludes an HDMI transmitter module 240. The HDMI transmitter module 240is operable to transmit the selected video signal to the video displayunit 104 (e.g.—video signal from HDMI 1 for instance). As set forthabove, the audio/video signal received from one of the respective inputsources 106 a, 106 b has had the audio portion of the signal extractedat this point by the audio extractor module 234. The HDMI transmittermodule 240 is operable to pass the video signal received from therespective input source 106 a, 106 b on to a respective device as anoutput (e.g.—video display unit 104). The HDMI transmitter module 240 isconnected with the HDMI output 230, which is located on the back of thehub 102.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the hub 102 also includes a signal processingmodule 242 that performs the primary audio functions. The control unit200 is connected with the signal processing module 242. In addition, theoutputs 236 of the HDMI repeater module 226 are connected with thesignal processing module 242. As such, the audio signal received fromone of the HDMI inputs 228 a-d is sent from the HDMI repeater module 226to the signal processing module 242. In one form, the signal processingmodule 242 includes four I²S inputs 244 that receive the audio signalfrom the HDMI repeater module 226.

The signal processing module 242 is configured and operable to decodeseveral audio formats. In particular, in one form, the signal processingmodule 242 is operable to decode Dolby Pro-Logic llx, Dolby Digital,Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS. In another form, the signal processingmodule 242 is operable to decode Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II,Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Pro Logic IIz,Dolby Digital EX, THX Surround EX, DTS-ES, Dolby Digital Plus, DolbyTrueHD, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and Dolby Atmos.

The signal processing module 242 is configured and operable to crossovereach speaker channel at separate crossover frequencies. The high passaudio is passed to each speaker channel. The low pass audio is summedwith the low-frequency effects (LFE) channel and routed to the subwooferchannel. The signal processing module 242 is configured and operable todownmix any decoder output into its speaker outputs, route them to anyWiSA channel, and add delay as needed. This includes downmixing androuting 96 kHz, 8-channel HDMI inputs. The signal processing module 242is configured and operable to apply a low shelf filter whose parametersare dependent on the volume setting of the hub 102. Further, the signalprocessing module 242 is configured and operable to generate pink noise,sine, and chime signals and route those signals to each speakerindividually.

The hub 102 also includes an S/PDIF receiver 246 that is connected withthe signal processing module 242. The S/PDIF receiver 246 is alsoconnected with the control unit 200. In one form, the S/PDIF receiver246 is connected with the signal processing module 242 via an I²S serialbus connection and with the control unit 200 via a I²C connectionalthough other ways of connecting the components exist. The S/PDIFreceiver 246 includes an optical audio cable/TOSLINK port 248 and acoaxial port 250. In one form, the S/PDIF receiver 246 is connected withthe signal processing module 242 via an I²S serial bus connection. TheS/PDIF receiver 246 is configured and operable to handle sampling ratesup to and including 192 kHz. The control unit 200 is configured andoperable to select the S/PDIF receiver 246 as an input source of chosenby the user thereby providing audio from the S/PDIF receiver 246 to thewireless speakers 110-122.

The hub 102 includes an A/D converter 252 that is connected with a pairof audio jacks 254. The audio jacks 254 are configured to deliver analogaudio signals to the A/D converter 252 that converts the analog signalsinto digital audio signals. The A/D converter 252 is connected with thesignal processing module 242. In addition, the A/D converter 252 isconnected with the control unit 200. In one form, the A/D converter 252is connected with the signal processing module 242 via an I²S serial busconnection and with the control unit 200 via a I²C connection althoughother ways of connecting the components exist. The control unit 200 isconfigured and operable to select the A/D converter 252 as an inputsource for audio if chosen by the user thereby providing audio receivedthrough the audio jacks 254 to the wireless speakers 110-122.

The hub 102 includes a Bluetooth receiver 256 that is connected with thesignal processing module 242 and the control unit 200. In one form, theBluetooth receiver 256 is connected with the signal processing module242 via an I²S serial bus connection and with the control unit 200 via aI²C connection although other ways of connecting the components exist.The Bluetooth receiver 256 supports the A2DP audio profile and includesAAC and aptX decoders. In addition, the Bluetooth receiver 256 is ableto pass AVRCP commands to a A2DP source device. The Bluetooth receiver256 is also able to receive serial profile data so that the hub 102 canbe controlled by a iOS or Android app.

The hub 102 includes a wireless transceiver 258 that is connected withthe signal processing module 242 and the control unit 200. In one form,the signal processing module 242 is connected with the wirelesstransceiver 258 with four I²S serial bus connections and with thecontrol unit 200 with a I²C connection. In one form, the wirelesstransceiver 258 comprises a WiSA 8-channel audio transceiver that iscapable of communicating with the wireless speakers 110-122 at samplingrates up to and including 96 kHz. The wireless transceiver 258 iscapable of transmitting audio to the speakers in various audio formatsincluding, but not limited to, Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II,Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Pro Logic IIz,Dolby Digital EX, THX Surround EX, DTS-ES, Dolby Digital Plus, DolbyTrueHD, DTS-HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and Dolby Atmos.

The hub 102 also includes a USB port 260 that is connected with thecontrol unit 200. The USB port 260 is provided for software updates,file playback, and charging an external device. The charge current mustbe at least 500 mA. The USB port 260 is configured and operable to hosemass storage class devices using all common file systems.

The control unit 200 on the hub 102 includes software that is capable ofperforming various functions. Referring to FIG. 6, various states thatthe hub 102 can operate in are set forth. Once the main power isconnected to the hub (300), the control unit 200 places the hub 102 in astandby state 302. The standby state 302 is a lower power state wherethe hub 102 is connected to power and consumes a minimal amount ofpower. All LEDs 211 are off in the standby state unless HDMI pass thruis enabled. If HDMI pass thru is enabled, in which the audio and videosignal from a respective input source 106 a, 106 b is simply beingpassed thru the hub 102, a pass thru HDMI port LED 304 will be lit toindicate that the input is passed through the hub 102 to the HDMI output230.

When the hub 102 is turned on, by either pressing the power button 208 aon the hub 102 or the power button on remote control 108, the controlunit 200 is configured to illuminate all LEDs 211 at full brightnessuntil a speaker search is completed by the hub 102, which is representedat 306. Once the speaker search is complete, the control unit 200 isconfigured to set the LEDs 211 to their operating brightness (full, dim,or off) as set in the user menus and show a current volume level and acurrent input selection (e.g.—HDMI 1), which is represented at 308.

If the power option in the menus is set to “always on,” the hub 102should never transition to the standby state unless a power command isreceived by the control unit 200 from the remote control 108 or thepower button 208 a on the hub 102. Any time the hub 102 is transitioningto the standby state, the control unit 200 is configured to illuminateall LEDs 211 at full brightness until the wireless connection betweenthe hub 102 and the wireless speakers 110-122 is severed which isrepresented at 310.

Referring to FIG. 7, a more detailed discussion of the signal processingmodule 242 will be discussed. As previously set forth, the HDMI repeater226 extracts the audio signal from the audio/video signal received froma respective input source 106 a, 106 b and sends the audio signal to thesignal processing module 242. The audio signal input 300 is processed bya respective decoder 302 that is configured and operable to decode theaudio signals (if one is needed). In one form, the decoded audio signalis comprised of eight (8) channels, but any number of channels could beused in other forms. In one form, the signal processing module 242includes a EAC3 decoder, a DTS decoder, a Dolby Pro-Logic llx decoder,and a DTS Neo6 decoder. In other forms, the signal processing module 242could include any decoder that is configured and operable to producesurround sound. The user, via the remote control 108, configures thecontrol unit 200 to determine what sound mode is used by the hub 102.

The decoders described above are used to extract the various audiochannels from the source media. In most instances, encoding is used toovercome data rate restrictions of a given media. The decoders may alsobe used to provide encryption or other security functions to protect thecontent. The decoders can also be used to create additional audiochannels in systems where the number of audio output channels is greaterthan the number of source audio channels.

The signal processing module 242 includes a digital signal processor(DSP) 304. The decoders 302 are connected with and send decoded audiooutput signals to the DSP 304. The user is able to select the audio modethat the hub 102 operates in. The decoder 302 used to decode the audioinput 300 is dependent upon the audio mode that the user selects. Thedefault mode used by the hub 102 is Stereo. In this mode, the left andright channels are passed directly to the left and right speakers withany bass management based on the speakers that are present. All2-channel inputs directly default to this mode after the hub 102 isreset.

The user is able to select other surround modes that cause the controlunit 200 to use different decoders 302 to produce sound on the wirelessspeakers 110-122. In one form, the user is able to configure the hub 102to produce audio in direct mode, all-channel stereo mode, PLIIx moviemode, PLIIx music mode, PLIIx game mode, Neo6 Cinema mode, and Neo6Music mode. In direct mode, the left and right channels are passeddirectly to the left and right speakers without any bass management. Inall-channel stereo mode, the left channel is routed to the left speaker114, left surround 118, and left surround back channel 122. The rightchannel is routed to the right speaker 112, right surround 116, andright surround back channel 120. The center speaker 110 receives 0.5left and 0.5 right.

In PLIIx movie mode, the audio is processed with the Pro-Logic IIxdecoder 302 in Movie mode. In PLIIx music mode, the audio is processedwith the Pro-Logic IIx decoder 302 in Music mode. In PLIIx game mode,the audio is processed with the Pro-Logic IIx decoder 302 in Game mode.In Neo6 cinema mode, the audio is processed with the Neo6 decoder 302 inCinema mode. In Neo6 music mode, the audio is processed with the Neo6decoder 302 in Music mode. Those skilled in the art would recognize thatthe hub 102 could include numerous decoders and be configured to decodeaudio in various formats.

All eight audio channels are directed to the DSP 304. The DSP 302includes an audio enhancement block 306 that includes a low shelf filterthat works on all channels. The low shelf filter parameters are setbased on a current volume level. The low shelf filter is able to bebypassed using the OSD. In one form, the low shelf filter is executablecode functioning on the DSP 304. The audio enhancement block 306 alsoincludes a night mode that reduces the subwoofer level and compressesthe dynamics. The night mode can be turned on and off using the OSD. TheDSP 304 is configured and operable to include a tone generator 308. Thetone generator 308 can produce sine tones from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, pinknoise, and a signal chime for speaker identification. The sine toneshave seamless frequency transitions. In one form, the tone generator 308is created using code running on the DSP 304.

After the audio signals are processed by the enhancement block 306, theaudio signals are processed by a crossbar mixer module 310 on the DSP304. The crossbar mixer 310 is operable to route any of the eight (8)input channels to any of the eight (8) output channels. The crossbarmixer module 310 is also capable of routing signals from the tonegenerator 308 to any of the eight (8) output channels. The crossbarmixer module 310 is capable of performing the following functions:

-   -   Downmix the 8 channel decoder block output based on the number        of speakers present;    -   Route the LFE signal to the left and right channels when a        subwoofer is not present; and    -   Send a test tone from the tone generator to each speaker        individually, even when they are assigned to the same WiSA slot        In one form, the crossbar mixer module 310 is software or code        that is executable by the DSP 310.

The hub 102 is configured to always pass audio, no matter what speakersetup is connected. If a non-optimal speaker assignment is made, thecontrol unit 200 will generate an OSD that will warn the user wheneverthe main menu, startup screen, or status display is displayed.Suboptimal speaker setups include anything other than the setups listedbelow with or without a subwoofer. This includes multiple speakersassigned to the same channel.

-   -   L R (2.x)    -   L C R (3.x)    -   L C R sideL sideR (5.x)    -   L R sideL sideR (5.x with phantom center)    -   L C R sideL sideR back (6.x)    -   L R sideL sideR back (6.x with phantom center)    -   L C R sideL sideR backL backR (7.x)    -   L R sideL sideR backL backR (7.x with phantom center)

Referring to FIG. 7, the DSP 304 includes a bass management module 312that consists of software or code in the DSP 304 that receives up toeight (8) audio output signals or channels from the crossbar mixermodule 310. The bass management module 312 is configured or programmedsuch that each channel has an independent crossover filter. As set forthin greater detail below, each channel's crossover frequency and speakersize are set per the parameters received from each individual wirelessspeaker 110-122 connected to the system 100. If there is more than onewireless speaker 110-122 assigned to a given channel (slot), the hub 102must retrieve the bass management parameters from every wireless speaker110-122 on that slot and use the highest reported crossover frequencyfrom one of the respective wireless speakers 110-122. In one form, thecrossovers use a 2^(nd) order high pass filter with Q=0.707 for eachmain channel. The corresponding subwoofer low pass filters are 4^(th)order low pass filter with Q=0.707. The Q values for the high passfilter and low pass filter could vary in other embodiments.

In the preferred form, the hub 102 is configured to send a back channelcommand to each speaker 110-124 to query the preferred filters from eachspeaker 110-124. As set forth in greater detail below, each wirelessspeaker 110-124 includes one or more filter parameters (filter type,frequency, Q, and so forth) stored in the speakers 110-124. These filterparameters can be transmitted to the hub 102. In one form, the filterparameters comprise biquad filter parameters. For example, for thefilter parameters for the main speaker channel can be as follows: Biquad1: 130 Hz high-pass, Q=0.5; Biquad 2: 130 Hz band-pass EQ, −6 dB, 130Hz, Q=2.0 and for the subwoofer channel can be as follows: Biquad 1: 130Hz low-pass, Q=0.707; Biquad 2: 130 Hz low-pass, Q=0.707. In thepreferred form, the speakers 110-124 comprise wireless speakers, but thebass management module 312 could be utilized in systems 100 with wiredspeakers as well. As such, communication of the filter parameters fromthe speakers 110-124 to the hub 102 could occur using a wired medium ora wireless medium. In other forms, the filter parameters associated witheach speaker 110-124 could be transmitted to the hub 102 usingBluetooth, WiFi, or NFC.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, the hub 102 includes a wireless transceiver258 that is connected with the control unit 200 and the signalprocessing module 242. The wireless transceiver 258 is configured andoperable to communicate with the wireless speakers 110-124. As such, thetransceiver 258 is able to send data to and receive data from thewireless speakers 110-124. In one form, the hub 102 communicates withthe speakers 110-124 using a (U-NII) 5 GHz radio band and uses dynamicfrequency selection (DFS). DFS is a mechanism to allow unlicenseddevices to use the 5 GHz frequency bands already allocated to radarsystems without causing interference to those radars. The transceiver258 is configured to detect the presence of a radar system on a channeland, if the level of the radar is above a certain threshold, vacate thatchannel and select an alternate channel. In one form, the transceiver258 comprises a WiSA compliant transceiver. In other forms, any radiofrequency band can be used by the hub 102 to communicate with thespeakers 110-124.

The transceiver 258 is operable to communicate with the speakers 110-124using 24-bit uncompressed audio. In addition, the hub 102 is configuredto have a sample rate that matches the content: 32, 44.1, 48, and 96 ksamples/second. The base management module 312 of the DSP 304 isconfigured to introduce a 5.1 ms fixed latency delay that providesoptimal lip synch and game response. Further, the hub 102 is operable tohave a speaker-to-speaker delay of +/−1 μs.

Referring to FIG. 8, a representation of how one (channel 1) of theseven audio channels is filtered by the base management module 312 isillustrated. As illustrated, the first audio channel is output from thecrossbar mixer 310 to the base management module 312 having a full audiorange. The full range audio signal is then processed by a first biquadfilter 350 and a second biquad filter 352 configured as digital filtersin the DSP 304 of the hub 102. In one form, the first biquad filter 350comprises two biquad filters and the second biquad filter 352 comprisestwo biquad filters. The first biquad filter 350 comprises a high-passfilter that is configured to remove low frequency components (bass) fromthe full range audio signal. The second biquad filter 352 comprises alow pass filter that is configured to remove high frequency componentsfrom the full range audio signal.

In one form, the first and second biquad filters 350, 352 are configuredand implemented as a function of the filter parameters associated witheach respective speaker 110-124. As previously set forth, the hub 102 isconfigured to receive the filter parameters from each individual speaker110-124 thereby knowing what optimal settings to operate and provideaudio signals to the speaker 111-124. In one form, the first and secondbiquad filters 350, 352 comprise two biquad filters. In one form, theDSP 304 of the hub 102 is configured to implement digital filters oneach channel in the form of infinite impulse response (IIR) filters. Inanother form, the DSP 304 of the hub 102 is configured to implementdigital filters on each channel in the form of finite impulse response(FIR) filters.

The purpose of the first and second biquad filters 350, 352 is tolow-pass filter each main channel and add the low passed signal to thesubwoofer channel. Referring collectively to FIGS. 8 and 9, in a 7.1surround sound system, seven audio channels 360 a-g are decoded andcontain audio signals that are processed by the bass management module312. In the case of a 7.1 surround sound system, the bass managementmodule 312 will include seven different first and second biquad filters352, 354 that are each optimally configured using the filter parametersthat are associated with each respective main speaker 110-122. Inanother form, the filter parameters can be transmitted to the hub 102over a wired connection. As such, each individual channel 360 a-g isprocessed by first and second biquad filters 352, 354 and the output ofthe second biquad filters 352 are added to the subwoofer channel by asummation module or routine 356. In addition, a low frequency effects(LFE) channel 358 may also be added to the low frequency outputs of thesecond biquad filters 352. The resulting output from the summationmodule 356 is then wirelessly transmitted by the transceiver 258 to thesubwoofer 124.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the HDMI repeater 226 is a pass-through devicefor video signals. The HDMI repeater 226 performs no processing to thevideo signal aside from being configured and operable to generate theOSD. In one form, the HDMI repeater 226 is configured to default to aresolution of 1080p when a valid input signal is not present or when anon-HDMI source is selected on the hub 102. The HDMI repeater 226 isconfigured to generate an OSD option that allows video pass-through whenthe hub 102 is in standby mode. If this option is enabled, the lastvideo input used (e.g.—HDMI 1 228 a) is passed from that input to theHDMI output 230. When a non-video source is selected (optical 248, coax250, etc.) the output on the HDMI output 230 will cause a blank screento appear on the display 104.

The hub 102 includes a universal serial bus (USB) port 260 that isconnected with the control unit 200. The control unit 200 is configuredto recognize various types of file systems including, but not limitedto, FAT16 and FAT32 file systems. In one form, the control unit 200 isconfigured to update the firmware of the hub 102. In other forms, thefirmware of the hub 102 can be updated wirelessly through thetransceiver 258.

The control unit 200 is operable to playback audio files from a USB massstorage device that is connected with the USB port 260. In this mode,the control unit 200 will receive the audio files and transmit them tothe signal processing module 242. When a USB device with compatiblefiles is connected, the control unit 200 is configured to automaticallychange the input to USB and start playing the first file. The controlunit 200 is configured to generate an OSD that allows the user to usethe remote control 108 to control how the audio files are played by thehub 102.

The control unit 200 is configured such that the Bluetooth receiver 256is available for connection with previously paired devices whenever thehub 102 is in the “on” state. The control unit 200 is configured tooperate in Bluetooth mode for one minute after one of the followingevents:

-   -   The ‘SOURCE’ button on the hub 120 is pressed and held for more        than 3 seconds and less than 5 seconds.    -   A “Bluetooth discoverable mode” IR command is received from the        remote control 108.    -   The “input=Bluetooth” IR command is held for at least 3 seconds        and less than 5 seconds.        After any successful connect or pairing process, the control        unit 200 is configured to change to the Bluetooth input and        generate an OSD that allows the user to control the audio being        played.

Referring collectively to FIGS. 10a-10d , circuit diagrams areillustrated for the center channel speaker 110, the floor standingspeakers 112, 114, the surround speakers 116, 118, 120, 122, and thesubwoofer 124. In this form, the center channel speaker 110 includesfive (5) individual drivers, the floor standing speakers 112, 114includes five (5) individual drivers, and the surround speakers 116,118, 120, 122 include two (2) individual drivers, but in other formsdifferent numbers of drivers can be utilized. As can be seen, eachcircuit diagram for each speaker is generally the same. As such, for thesake of clarity, each of the circuit diagrams will be discussed belowtogether with only the differences being pointed out.

As illustrated, the speakers 110-124 each include a control unit 400that is connected with a wireless transceiver 402 and a DSP 404. In oneform, the control unit 400 is connected with the wireless transceiver402 and the DSP 404 using a I²C connection, but other ways of connectingthe components together would be known to those skilled in the art. Anoutput of the wireless transceiver 402 is connected with the DSP 404.The control unit 400 includes internal data storage for storing certainparameters, such as the unique filter parameters associated with eachspeaker 110-124. In other forms, the DSP 404 can include internalstorage for storing certain parameters, such as the unique filterparameters associated with each speaker 110-124. The wirelesstransceiver 402 includes an antenna 403. The control unit 400 isoperable to allow the wireless transceiver 402 to send data to the hub102 and receive data from the hub 102. In one form, the wirelesstransceivers 402 are operable to wirelessly receive audio contentassociated with each respective speaker 110-124 from the hub 102.

Referring to FIGS. 10a and 10b , the center channel speaker 110 andfloor standing speakers 112, 114 each include a first amplifier 406, asecond amplifier 408, and a third amplifier 410. The amplifiers 406-410are connected with outputs from the DSP 404. In one form, the DSP 404 isconfigured to include speaker crossover filters that divide the audioinput received from the wireless transceiver 402 into three audio bands,which include a high frequency band, a first low frequency band and asecond low frequency band. As illustrated, the high frequency band isdirected to the first amplifier 406, the first low frequency band isdirected to the second amplifier 408, and the second low frequency bandis directed to the third amplifier 410. The output of the firstamplifier 406 is connected to a tweeter 412 of the speakers 110, 112,114. The output of the second amplifier 408 is connected to a first pairof drivers 414 a, 414 b and the output of the third amplifier 410 isconnected to a second pair of drivers 416 a, 416 b.

Referring to FIG. 10c , the surround speakers 116, 118, 120, 122 includefirst and second amplifiers 406, 408 that are connected to outputs fromthe DSP 404. In this form, the output from the first amplifier 406 isconnected to a tweeter 412 of the speakers 116, 118, 120, 122. Theoutput of the second amplifier 408 is connected to a driver 418. In thisform, the DSP 404 is configured with crossover filters that divide theaudio signal received from the wireless transceiver 402 into two audiobands, which include a high frequency band and a low frequency band. Thehigh frequency band is directed to the first amplifier 406 and the lowfrequency band is directed to the second amplifier 408.

Referring to FIG. 10d , the subwoofer 124 includes a first amplifier 406that is connected with an output of the DSP 404. The first amplifier 406is connected with a subwoofer driver 420 of the subwoofer 124. As setforth above, the audio signal that the subwoofer 124 receives from thehub 102 comprises the sum of the low frequency components from all ofthe channels 360 a-g and the low frequency effects channel 358. In thisform, the DSP 404 of the subwoofer 124 receives the audio signal fromthe wireless transceiver 402 and directs it to the first amplifier 406.The amplifiers discloses herein must support audio sampling rates up to96 kHz.

Referring collectively to FIGS. 10a-c and 11, all of the speakers110-122 except for the subwoofer 124 include a speaker selector moduleor panel 422 connected with the control unit 400. As illustrated in FIG.11, in one form, a portion of the speaker selector module 422 is locatedon the back of the speakers 110-122. The speaker selector module 422includes a display 424 that illustrates how a 7.1 surround system mightbe oriented in a room. In this form, a graphic representation of acenter speaker 110, front right speaker 112, front left speaker 114,side right speaker 116, side left speaker 118, rear right speaker 120,and rear left speaker 122 is illustrated. In addition, the position of atelevision or display 104 is illustrated as well as a couch 426.

In the display 424, the speakers 110-122 have an indicator or LEDassociated with each position or slot. As such, the speaker positionindicators 110 a-122 a are connected with the control unit 400 and thecontrol unit 400 is operable to selectively energize each speakerposition indicator 110-122 as a function of the slot the speaker isplaced in by the user. The display 424 includes a button 428 that isconnected with the control unit 400. In one form, the button 428comprises a tact switch. Although the display 424 is illustrated asusing indicators 110-122, it should be appreciated that in other formsthe speaker selector module 422 could comprise a touch screen displaydevice that allows the user to place the speaker in a respective slot.

During setup of the system 100, a user will position the speakers110-122 in their desired locations in the room. Once in position andpower is supplied to the speakers 110-122, the user will press thebutton 428 on the speaker selector module 422 to set the speaker to aslot (e.g.—center, front right, front left, side right, side left, rearright, or rear left) associated with its respective position or locationin the room. In this form, each time the user presses the button 428,the control unit 400 is configured to scroll to the next slot and lightup the speaker position LED 110 a-122 a associated with that respectiveslot. When the correct slot is selected, the control unit 400 isoperable to configure the speaker 110-122 to function in that respectiveslot. So, for example, if the center slot is selected by the user, thecontrol unit 400 will configure the speaker 110 to function as a centerchannel speaker and will pair with the hub 102 as a center channelspeaker 110. As used herein, the term slot should be construed to mean achannel that the speaker is assigned to such as the center, front right,front left, side right, side left, rear right, rear left, or subwoofer.

Referring to FIG. 12, the speakers 110-124 are configured to function inthree modes or states, which are unassociated 450, associated+standby452, and associated+active 454. The speakers 110-124 also have a powerup state 456. The unassociated state 450 is when a speaker 110-124 isnot paired with a hub 102. This is the state that a speaker 110-124should be in when it is new from the factory. It indicates that thespeaker 110-124 is ready to be paired with a hub 102. If the speaker110-122 has a speaker selector module 422, the LED indicating thecurrently selected slot will be blinking. Pressing the tact switch 428will scroll to the next slot.

The associated+standby state 452 is when the speaker 110-124 has beenassociated with a hub 102 but is in low-power standby mode. This stateis reached when the signal from the hub 102 is not detected for apredetermined period of time (e.g.—30 seconds). In this state, all ofthe speaker location LEDs 110 a-122 a are off. If the button 428 ispressed briefly, the control unit 400 is configured to place the speaker110-122 in the associated+active state. If the hub 102 signal remainsmissing for 30 seconds, the speaker will return to a standby state. Ifthe button 428 is pressed and held for a predetermined period of time(e.g.—5 seconds), the control unit 400 is configured to transition thespeaker to the unassociated state where it will delete its associationwith the hub 102. The associated+active state 454 is when the speaker110-124 detects a signal from the hub 102 it is paired with and is fullypowered on.

When the speaker 110-122 is in the unassociated state 450, short pressesof the button 428 will scroll through slots and indicate that selectionon the speaker position LEDs 110 a-122 a. When the speaker 110-122 is inthe associated+standby state, the speaker position cannot be changed.Pressing the button 428 will wake the speaker up but will not change itsposition. Slot changes while in the associated+active state are onlyvalid when the speaker 110-122 is connected to a hub 102. A short pressof the button 428 will scroll through the slots. When the user stopspressing the button for a predetermined period of time (e.g. 5 seconds),the control unit 400 is configured to transmit a slot request to the hub102.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 13, setup of a new system 100 disclosed by thepresent invention will be discussed. At step 500, the wireless speakers110-124 are in a discoverable mode and the unassociated state. At step502, the user selects a respective speaker location using the speakerselector module 422. In particular, the user uses the panel to selectthe speaker location for every speaker 110-122 to be added to the system100. The subwoofer 124 would not include a speaker selector module 422because it will always function as a subwoofer in the system 100. Next,at step 504, the user would use the OSD generated by the hub 102 todirect the hub 102, using the wireless transceiver 258, to search forspeakers 110-124 to be added to the system 100.

At step 506, the hub 102 detects the speakers 110-124 that arediscoverable in the system 100. At step 508, the speakers 110-124communicate certain information to the hub 102 so that the hub 102 canpair with the speakers 110-124. In particular, the speakers 110-124would transmit their selected slot assignments to the hub 102 togetherwith other parameters, such as the filter parameters previouslydiscussed. Finally, at step 510, the hub 102 is operable to route audioto the speakers 110-124 as a function of the slots selected by the user.It should be noted that more than one speaker can be assigned to anygiven slot. So, for example, two center channel speakers 110 could beassigned to the center channel slot.

Referring to FIG. 14, the hub 102 is also configured to allow the userto move speakers 110-122 to different slots. In this case, the userwould select a speaker location using the speaker selector module 422,which is represented at step 520. Next, at step 522, the speaker 110-122requests a new slot assignment from the hub 102. The hub 102 isconfigured to assign the speaker 110-122 to the requested slot. At step524, the hub 102 is then configured to route audio to the speaker110-122 based on the slots selected by the user.

While the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or morepreferred utilized in the description indicate that the feature sodescribed may be more desirable, such feature(s) may not be necessary.Embodiments lacking the same are within the scope of the invention asdefined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intendedthat when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least oneportion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only oneitem unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When thelanguage “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item caninclude a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated tothe contrary.

We claim:
 1. A system, comprising: a hub configured to be connected withone or more audio sources; and at least one speaker having one or morefilter parameters stored internally that are specific to said at leastone speaker, wherein said at least one speaker is operable to transmitsaid one or more filter parameters to said hub, and wherein said hub isoperable to use said one or more filter parameters to filter an audiochannel associated with said at least one speaker and an associatedsubwoofer channel.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or morefilter parameters is transmitted to said hub over a wirelesscommunication link.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or morefilter parameters is transmitted to said hub over a wired communicationlink.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one speakerincludes at least one amplifier.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein saidhub has at least two filters for processing a first audio signal forsaid at least one speaker and at least two filters for processing asecond audio signal for said subwoofer channel.
 6. The system of claim1, wherein said hub implements said one or more filter parameters as oneor more crossover filters.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said one ormore crossover filters are implemented as finite impulse response (FIR)filters.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein said one or more crossoverfilters are implemented as infinite impulse response (IIR) filters. 9.The system of claim 1, wherein the filter parameters are transmitted tothe hub using a Bluetooth connection.
 10. The system of claim 1, whereinthe filter parameters are transmitted to the hub using a WiFiconnection.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter parameters aretransmitted to the hub using a near field communication (NFC)connection.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein separate filterparameters are stored for multiple sampling rates.
 13. A system,comprising: a hub; a plurality of speakers in wireless communicationwith said hub, wherein each of said speakers includes a speaker selectormodule operable to allow a user to select a slot to place each of saidspeakers in, wherein each of said speakers is operable to transmit arespective slot setting to said hub based on said selected slot, andwherein said hub is operable to transmit audio signals to each of saidspeakers as a function of said slot setting; and wherein each of saidplurality of speakers is operable to transmit one or more filterparameters to said hub that is unique to each speaker, and wherein saidhub is operable to use said one or more filter parameters during audioprocessing to filter audio that is output to each respective speaker.14. The system of claim 13, wherein said one or more filter parametersare comprised of biquad filter parameters.
 15. The system of claim 13,wherein said hub implements said one or more filter parameters as one ormore crossover filters.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein said one ormore crossover filters are implemented as finite impulse response (FIR)filters.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein said one or more crossoverfilters are implemented as infinite impulse response (IIR) filters. 18.The system of claim 13, wherein said hub is operable to filter audiosuch that a low frequency bass component is removed from a full rangeaudio signal associated with each slot and sum said low frequency basscomponent from each respective slot to a subwoofer channel.
 19. Asystem, comprising: a speaker with internal data storage containing oneor more crossover filter parameters specific to said speaker; an audiosource connected with said speaker, wherein said speaker is configuredto communicate said one or more crossover filter parameters to saidaudio source, and wherein said audio source is operable to apply saidone or more crossover filter parameters to an audio channel associatedwith said speaker and a subwoofer channel.
 20. The system of claim 19,wherein said audio source uses said one or more filter parameters inconnection with one or more crossover filters that are implemented asfinite impulse response (FIR) filters.
 21. The system of claim 19,wherein said audio source uses said one or more filter parameters inconnection with one or more crossover filters that are implemented asinfinite impulse response (IIR) filters.
 22. The system of claim 19,wherein said audio source can scale said filter parameters per an outputsampling rate off said system.